Base of Operations: A prison in Upstate New York;
formerly the Raft, Ryker's Island;
formerly mobile across
the United States of America;
formerly the Vault, Rocky Mountains, Colorado

Place of Birth: Camden, New Jersey

First Appearance: Daredevil I#78 (July,
1971)

Powers/Abilities: Man-Bull possesses
superhuman strength, primarily in his upper torso and back,
resulting from a twenty-fold increase in the efficiency of his
muscles, skeleton, and overall endurance. His improved reflexes
have offset the increase in muscle density and his reaction time
remains about the same as when human. His skin has become
tougher, callus-like so that most of his body's exposed skin
areas can resist the penetration of small-caliber bullets. He can
lift (press) about 2800 pounds repeatedly for about an hour
before tiring, and his peak strength appears to vary from Class
10 to Class 50. He possesses dense horns, one growing from each
side of his forehead, and eventually developed a bull-like tail.
He also has a large build-up of muscle in his upper back and
possibly some spinal deformity (kyphosis), resulting in an almost
hunchback appearance. His charging posture is particularly
devastating to modern building materials. He is able to run
through cinderblock, wood paneling, and compound materials such
as steel-reinforced concrete without injury.

Man-Bull's psyche was
deleteriously altered, aggravating his normally hostile mentality.
When engaged in combat, his body's adrenalin reaction can elevate
him into hysterical, all-consuming rage, making him
extraordinarily dangerous.

More recently, Man-Bull has
undergone even further degeneration, resulting in increased
strength and durability (sufficient to combat the gray Hulk), at
the cost of further decreasing his intellect. When last seen, the
Man-Bull was no longer able to speak. In the past he has used a
serum to transfer between human and Man-Bull forms, but this no
longer seems to be the case.

There is some evidence that
at least on one occasion he might have been able to influence the
activities of real bulls (actually steers), though it may be that
he just used instinct to manipulate the herd mentality.

History:
(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe I#6 (fb) - BTS) - Bill
Taurens took the alias Bull Taurus at age 13, and he began his
criminal career in adolescence when he was arrested for petty
theft. Since then he was a repeat offender, in and out of prison
for, among other crimes, grand larceny, arson, manslaughter, and
assault with a deadly weapon.

(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe I#6 (fb)
- BTS/Daredevil I#78 (fb) - BTS) - Taurens' reputation brought
him into the employ of the mysterious Mr. Kline, who was
enlisting strong-arm men to round up subjects for testing of an
experimental serum. The serum, developed by Kline's agent, the
Professor, was based on mutated enzymes extracted from bulls and
was designed to increase the strength and musculature of
potential henchmen.

(Daredevil I#78) - Taurens, alongside Itch,
Freak-Face, and another unnamed man, assaulted George and Dia
Alec, intending to claim George as a test subject. The Dias were
saved by Daredevil who drove off their attackers. Having failed
to acquire suitable test subjects, Taurens then was forced to
serve as the guinea pig himself. After receiving an injection
from the Professor, he mutated into a humanoid bull. Taurens, now
Man-Bull, was disoriented by the transformation, but was pleased
when Itch managed to drug Daredevil and bring him before him for
revenge.

(Daredevil I#79) - In front of his allies, Man-Bull
attacked Daredevil, eventually smashing him through a wall and
into the harbor, after which he assumed the hero to have died.
Itch, Freak-Face, and the others then kidnapped George and Dia
Alec, arriving just as the Professor gave a report on Man-Bull to
Mr. Kline. Daredevil arrived to rescue the Dias again and Man-Bull
pursued Daredevil, who eventually tripped him into a building.
Man-Bull was knocked out in the collision and reverted back to
Bill Taurens, who was taken away by the police.

(Daredevil I#95) - Itch used a rifle to fire a
capsule containing a syringe filled with the Professor's bull
extract into Bull's cell in Tombs. Taurens used the serum to
transform back into Man-Bull and break out of prison. Seeking
vengeance, Man-Bull and Itch traveled to San Francisco, where
they used a runaway car to flush out Daredevil. However, Man-Bull
then decided to instead tackle the Black Widow, Daredevil's
girlfriend. Itch side-swiped the Black Widow's car, driven by her
friend Ivan Petrovich. Ivan punched out Itch, but was then
swatted unconscious by Man-Bull. After dodging Man-Bull's
attacks, the Widow took Ivan and fled, making sure Ivan was
alright. She and Daredevil then tracked Man-Bull to a jewelry
store he was looting, but while the Man-Bull drew Daredevil's
attention, Itch shot Daredevil in the shoulder dropping him.

(Daredevil I#96) - The Widow held her own
against the Man-Bull, who fled when the police approached, while
she was forced to stay behind to get Daredevil to a hospital.
Later, Man-Bull and Itch linked back up with the Professor, who
supplied them with a chemical they injected into the city
water supply. However, Man-Bull then flew into a sudden rage and
assaulted Itch, after which he was confronted by the Widow.
Eventually he managed to ram her, and he left her unconscious on
the ground. The chemical in the water began to take effect,
transforming those who drank it into Man-Bull creatures; the real
Man-Bull confronted the Professor, revealing that he did not
intend to use the chemical to blackmail the city for the
antidote, but rather just to use it to transform others
permanently and make them suffer. He attacked the Professor when
he objected, but Daredevil, still weakened by the gunshot wound,
located Man-Bull and goaded him into charging him. Daredevil
sidestepped and wrapped the rope to a heavy anchor around him,
and the Man-Bull fell from the dock and sank into the harbor.

(Claws of the Cat#4 (fb)) - Man-Bull returned
to human form, slipped from the ropes, and then paid a brutal
visit to the Professor. Taking the Professor's money and entire
cache of serum, he fled, relocating to Chicago.

(Claws of the Cat#4) - At a bar, Taurens
accosted Greer Nelson and her friend Sally, only to get knocked
down by Greer and then driven off by a group of angry bar patrons
who didn't appreciate his rough approach with the women. Taurens
went into the bathroom, took his serum, transformed into Man-Bull
and then trashed the bar. Greer became the Cat and confronted Man-Bull
and held her own against him, but he managed to free a herd of
steers and drive them into a stampede. Despite this, the Cat
still eventually managed to floor him, knocking him out with a large
pipe, and he reverted to Taurens again. Without his leadership,
the steers trampled his inert body in their rush to return to
their pen, and the Cat called an ambulance for him.

(Iron Man I#72 (fb) - BTS) - Man-Bull was next
recruited by Whiplash and the Melter as part of their "Death
Squad" in San Diego, California, and they planned to pull
off a penny-ante heist to attract Iron Man's attention so they
could smash him.

(Iron Man I#72) - The "Death Squad"
assaulted a comics convention, which happened to have Iron Man in
attendance, but they were then confronted by the Black Lama, who
promised a Golden Globe of Power to the champion in a battle
between super-heroes and villains. Though this really didn't
affect their plans, they attacked Iron Man, but were all
eventually defeated and rounded up by the police; the Black Lama
escaped.

(Daredevil I#129 (fb)) - Three months later (topical?),
Man-Bull returned to New York and robbed Phillip Diamond's
Jewelry Exchange, and Phillip Diamond fainted from the stress.

(Daredevil I#129 (fb) - BTS) - Man-Bull was
captured by the New York Police, but when Diamond died of a heart
attack six months (topical?) later, Man-Bull was charged with
first degree murder. Matt Murdock served as Man-Bull's lawyer.

(Daredevil I#129) - Despite Murdock's plea that
the Man-Bull committed only manslaughter, as he had no intent of
killing Diamond, Man-Bull was found guilty. Enraged, Man-Bull
broke out of his chains and the courtroom and went on a rampage.
He was recruited by the Matador, who convinced him to steal the
Golden Bull of China, the profits from which he could use to flee
the US and set up residence on some secluded island. The theft
attracted the attention of Daredevil, and in the ensuing fight,
Man-Bull shattered the Golden Bull into pieces. After being
stunned by Man-Bull, Daredevil elected to allow him to try to
leave America, hoping that Taurens would turn over a new leaf.
Man-Bull then met back up with Matador and attacked him for
trying to use him as a pawn. Man-Bull's assault knocked the two
of them into the Brooklyn Bay.

(Daredevil I#144) - Imprisoned within Ryker's
Island, Man-Bull assaulted several guards, starting a riot that
drew Daredevil's attention; Man-Bull managed to flatten the hero
and escape with the aid of the Owl's henchmen. The Owl enlisted
Man-Bull as his bodyguard and agent, sending him to retrieve
Professor Brent Kerwin, hoping his work on animal serums intended
to improve human physiology could cure the paraplegia his own
serum had caused. However, Man-Bull resisted the plot, intending
to force Kerwin to remove his own powers. Daredevil tracked down
Man-Bull and smashed him into a building, knocking him out.
Ironically, Kerwin admitted he would have happily helped both the
Owl and Man-Bull; all they had to do was ask him.

(Superior Foes of Spider-Man#5 (fb)) - Owl and
Man-Bull recruited safecracker Willie Valentine forcibly by taking his
girlfriend hostage, but she ended up sleeping with Man-Bull.

(She-Hulk III#10 (fb) - BTS) - The Man-Bull was sent to the
Vault.

(She-Hulk III#10 (fb) - BTS) - A breakout occurred at the
Vault, during which time the Man-Bull escaped.

(She-Hulk III#10 (fb)) - The Man-Bull ventured into Denver,
where he was defeated by neophyte hero Spider-Woman, who contained him until the
Guardsmen arrived to take him back to the Vault.

(Incredible Hulk II#341 (fb) - BTS) - Man-Bull's
powers caused him to degenerate into a virtually mindless form.
In the American Midwest, he lived as a nomad, preying upon cattle.

(Incredible Hulk II#341) - The gray Hulk
stumbled across him in mid-meal and remarked, "You're a
savage one, ain't cha?" Man-Bull took the name Savage and
asked the Hulk for help, but the Hulk, bothered by seeing himself
in Savage, chased him off. He later mauled the Henderson family
after the father shot him--to no effect--after finding him
raiding their refrigerator. Later, the Hulk again confronted
Savage, who wanted the Hulk to show him how to turn back into
human. The two fought, and when Savage learned that the Hulk
couldn't help him, he asked him to kill him instead. A crowd of
farmers came rushing up and Savage refused to show any sign of
humanity so they wouldn't kill him, but when he started crying
they realized he was human. When they wondered how they could
punish him, the Hulk said that letting him live would be
punishment enough.

(Marvel Year-in-Review 1992) - Man-Bull attended the
Springdale branch of the Bar with no Name, enjoying the company of Bova,
Matador, Minotaur, and Toro Rojo.

(Captain America I#411, [412-413]) - Man-Bull was one
of the many dozens of villains who visited the AIM Island Weapons Expo.
While there, he witnessed Captain America's battle against Mad Dog, Ramrod, General Wo, and Razor-Fist
while disguised as Crossbones. He was seemingly among the villains who
attacked Captain America after he had to drop his disguise.

(Spider-Man: Chaos in Calgary#4 (fb) - BTS) -
Man-Bull continued to deteriorate, losing the power of speech,
growing a tail, and becoming even more savage. He was recruited
by the Wizard to serve in his Frightful Four, alongside himself,
Trapster, and Dreadknight.

(Spider-Man: Chaos in Calgary#4) - The
Frightful Four appeared at a rodeo in Calgary, attempting to
abduct Dr. Cargill to force him to add his expertise in physics
to the Wizard's endeavors. They were opposed by Spider-Man (covering
the celebration of Calgary's anniversary for the Daily Bugle),
the Rangers, the Right Riders (a group of bicycle safety
promoters), and Turbine (Cargill's daughter). Man-Bull fought
Spider-Man to a standstill, but after being distracted by the
Right Riders, he became entrapped in Spider-Man's web after Texas
Twister blew it on top of him.

(New Warriors I#36 (fb) - BTS) - Man-Bull was sent to the Vault.

(New Warriors I#36) - The Man-Bull was seen in the Vault as a prisoner.

(Wolverine III#30) - Alongside the Constrictor,
Tombstone, Warhawk, and a number of SHIELD agents, Man-Bull assaulted
an AIM facility working on developing the Null android from technology
stolen from Reed Richards.

(Wolverine III#30 - BTS) - After his job was done Man-Bull returned to NYC. (see comments)

(Gravity#1) - Man-Bull (now sporting green hair) took a beating from the Thing for spilling his drink.

(Underworld#3) - Man-Bull played billiards with Dr. Octopus at
the Satan's Circus bar when a badly beaten Jackie Dio entered.

(Punisher War Journal II#13 (fb) - BTS) - Man-Bull
was captured by Kraven the Hunter (Alyosha Kravinoff),
who sought to build a zoo full of super-powered
animal-themed villains.

(Punisher War Journal II#13) - Man-Bull was kept in
a cage with a shock collar loaded with explosives.

(Punisher War Journal II#14) - Kraven killed Aragorn
and fed the horse to the prisoners, who refused to
eat. Later, Kraven used his skills and potions to drive all the captives into
bestial rages. He set them loose on his sinking ship to attack the Punisher
(Frank Castle).

(Punisher War Journal II#15) - The Man-Bull battled Grizzly, who knocked him
out and snapped off one of his left horn.

(Dark Reign Files) - Quasimodo researched Man-Bull for Norman Osborn.

(Dark Reign: Lethal Legion#2) - Imprisoned at the
Raft once again, Man-Bull fought Absorbing Man in the Annual Raft
Boxing Tournament and lost to him in the final.

(Thunderbolts I#158) - Living Laser was ridiculing
Man-Bull when an explosion wrecked the Raft, leading to a mass breakout
of prisoners.

(Herc#3) - They attempted to rob a bank in Brooklyn
at Cadman Plaza, but Hercules stopped the robbery. When Griffin was
shot down by the Warhawks Man-Bull aided Hercules in saving Griffin
from Kyknos. Man-Bull fled with Hercules and Griffin back into the bank
to escape the Warhawhs and the crowd, driven mad by fear.

(Herc#4) - Basilisk and Man-Bull watched Hercules
fighting the crowd and the Warhawks. They ran away and were surprised
by Griffin's more feline form. They watched as Griffin flew away with
Hercules.

(Herc#5) - Basilisk and Man-Bull rejoined Hercules
and Griffin to battle their way through the beasts and monsters created
by Hecate's magic. They formed a plan to trick Kyknos and end his
schemes. Basilisk, Man-Bull and Griffin delivered Hercules, temporarily
petrified by the Shield of Perseus), to a surprised Kyknos.

(Herc#6) - Basilisk, Griffin and Man-Bull were beaten
up by Kyknos, who was mad at them for seemingly taking his chance to
slay Hercules by himself. He used Hercules' petrified form as weapon
against them. When the stone spell ended and Hercules returned to human
form the villanous trio aided Hercules against Kyknos, who was still
able to overpower them all. But their battle with Kyknos brought hope
to the people of Brooklyn and combined with the prayers of Hercules'
worshippers the powers of Hecate's spell diverted to Basilisk, Griffin
and Man-Bull and now empowered them instead of Kyknos and his
followers. The three criminals were able to defeat Kyknos, who ran
away, crying for help, only to be shot in the head by his former ally
Helene. With the threat of Kyknos ended the trio reverted to their
usual forms.

(X-Men Legacy#275 (fb) - BTS) - Man-Bull was transferred to a prison in Upstate New York.

(X-Men Legacy#275) - Still imprisoned Man-Bull
volunteered to have a portion of his powers absorbed by X-Men member
Rogue. His powers enabled her to thwart a prison break.

(Daredevil IV#0.1) - Daredevil fought him inside the
sewers where he lured Man-Bull to a sewer pipe. Daredevil jumped over
Man-Bull when the brute tried to tackle him and Man-Bull ran right
through the sewer pipe's grid falling several hundred feet into the
water below.

(Daredevil IV#0.1 - BTS) -
The fall left Man-Bull unconscious. Daredevil fished him out of the
water and informed the Avengers where to find him.

(Fantastic Four V#9) - In the Raft,
She-Thing was the prison yard leader. She directed Ironclad, Armadillo,
Bloodlust, Man-Bull and Sandman to bring her new inmate, the Thing.

(Fantastic Four V#11) - At Ryker's,
She-Thing ordered Man-Bull, Vermin, Mandrill, and Mountain Man in the
showers to attack Thing, but Thing won with some help from Sandman.

(Scarlet
Witch II#2 (fb) - BTS) - The Emerald Warlock summoned Man-Bull from the
United States to the Greek island Santorini and empowered him with the
powers of the Minotaur. The Emerald Warlock's magic vastly increased
Man-Bull's strength and rendered him invisible during attacks. It also
kept him under the delusion that he was the real Minotaur.

During nights the Minotaur hunted in the streets of Santorini, killing locals and tourists alike.

(Scarlet Witch II#2
(fb) ) - The Greek Army were called in, but they were slaughtered by
the invisible Minotaur. The Greek hero Jon Ajax also fell victim to the
Minotaur.

(Scarlet Witch II#2
(fb) - BTS) - Mercenaries came looking for the Minotaur, but with each
slain less and less were determined to hunt him down.

(Scarlet Witch II#2) -
The Minotaur slew another group of mercenaries, who only heard his
footsteps, but didn't see him until it was too late.

Scarlet
Witch, on Hecate's request, hunted down the Minotaur. Due to her magic
powers she could not only see the Minotaur, but also saw through the
enchantment, recognizing him as William Tauren aka Man-Bull. Though he
was faster and stronger than ever before she ultimately managed to
purge Taurens of the enchantments with a hex from the Chuvihani,
reverting him back into his usual mutated self. Maddened by losing his
Minotaur powers and remembering who he actually was Man-Bull rushed at
Scarlet Witch, who put up a protective shield. Man-Bull crashed through
a wall, fell off a cliff into the ocean and sunk...

Comments: Created by Gerry Conway, Gene
Colan, and Tom Palmer.

The Man-Bull had a profile
in the OHotMU I#6, @ June, 1983. For some reason, that profile listed his strength as
some weight he could lift repeatedly for an hour, which seemed to
indicate that he wasn't that strong, but had extraordinary
endurance. Seeing as how he's gone toe-to-toe with Iron Man (and
later the Hulk), he's got to be stronger than enhanced human
strength.
He also has a profile in the Marvel Knights
Encyclopedia and the All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
Update#1.

Don't go looking for Spider-Man:
Chaos in Calgary#1-3. Chaos in Calgary was the 4th installment of
a "Kids in Trouble" series, which was preceded by
Skating on Thin Ice, Double Trouble, and Hit and Run.

The Death Squad name was
only used on the cover of Iron Man I#72. They might also have
chosen the "M"-Shaped-letters Squad.

Thanks to Doc Savage for pointing out Man-Bull's small appearance in New Warriors I#36.

Also thanks to Sean McKeever who confirmed Man-Bull's appearance in Gravity#1. (I just had to ask because of the new hair color)

His
appearances after Spider-Man: Chaos in Calgary needed an explanation
for Man-Bull's regained power of speech and the fact that his
appearance became more human again over the years. After Chaos in
Calgary he was first seen again in New Warriors I#36 as a prisoner of
the Vault. There he was perhaps contacted by S.H.I.E.L.D. who helped
him become more human again in exchange for his services. To assure
them of his change he attended Vil-Anon meetings (Spider-Man Unlimited
II#12 flashback). Soon afterwards he worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. in an
attack on AIM. Next he was seen in NYC which could mean that he was
free to go or that he had left S.H.I.E.L.D. without permission. Back in
NYC he dyed his hair and soon got into a fight with the Thing...and so
on and so on.
--Markus Raymond

Man-Bull was called
Minotaur in the next issue caption in Daredevil I#78. He was decades
later temporarily known as Minotaur in Scarlet Witch II#2. Small extra
tidbit to the whole Minotaur/Man-Bull situation. In a back-up story in
Howard the Duck V#3 Man-Bull looked exactly like Minotaur did in
Deadpool: Dracula's Gauntlet2. Maybe the Emerald Warlock started the
whole empowering Man-Bull with the powers of the Minotaur earlier than
we know.